The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1887-09-21
TIMELY TOPICS FOR FARMERS,
ROW TO 10 2Ayc;G WORK st 1iiis
SEASON.

ROS TO 10 9AYIc;G WoEk st Iiii>
/, SEASON.
Suggestions OF Interest, frc:n an :Auth"rl
tat;Ie Source.
Nv. L. Jones IN Southern (ultivator')
COTTON PICKING.
The characteristic farm work o. this
the first fall month is cotton harvesting.
The fruition Of the cotton planters hope
OF a successful, practical machine for the
gathering OF cotton is yet IN abeya2ce,
and the WORK must still be done b. ,;:nl-
BILE human fingers. Inventors, however.
are earnestly ct work seeking TO so;ve
this great problem, es will be seen ay
the Illustrations ard descriptions in .ais
nurabe. Of the Cultivator. Cotton-pick-
ing by hand Is by far the most expensive
operation in the production of raw cot
ton. Moreover, the cost Of nearly every
operation, except picking, may be re-
duced in proportion as the yield per
acre is greater. There is practically out
little difference II the cost per pound Of
gathering by hand the crop from an acre
producing one thousand pounds OF seed
cotton and another acre yielding cne-
half as much. Hence the supreme M
portarce and universal desire Tor g
practical machine to supersede the wcrk
Of the hand. Such . machine must
necessarily be so construc5ed-to be
eficient--thet its daily capacity viii be
almost in direct proportion to the yield
per scre.
Much has been said and written OF
late years about the importance Of gath
ering cotton from trash, to use the
farmers rernscr,lar: and some of TIE
writers, although right in the main, are
evidently bnt little familiar witE the re
auirements anu conditions that must he
practically met on cotton farm during
the harvesting of the crop. Some years
ago an spparently otherwise intelligent
English writer undertook TO show :3at
there was no excuse whatever Tor ire
presence Of sand OK sol: IN bales OF cot
ton; that the cotton crop opened (ai! Of
It, was his ideal IN September, month
in which there was little or no raini.:!.
He concluded, and rsproved ard lcctrrsd
the farmer accordingly, that the ssDd
vas fraudulentiy added by the farmer as
: 1nske-weight.
While It is desirable TO house Ire coz
81 SIS free from leaf aut1 hill IS ray
,.e, il is of first In Importance that the c,3p
be gone over" es often as the quantity
open at one time is sufficient TO e-aa-9
the hands to do a fair days work. IL
the interest OF economy, and wiz &
limited picking force, celerity Of move
ment, nimbieress of fingers, and me
weight of cotton gathered per Land ger
day are the points to be observed. he
pickers should uot be embarrassed aod
retarded in their work by too rigid re-
ouirements in the matter OF trash. They
should go with rush from the start, AID
every proper encouragement should be
offered them to briug heavy baskets to
the STEWARDS. A little trash hurts very
little; a good deal does not affect the
selling price seriously, if the sample IS
bright and free from weatherstains ard
dirt. Great care in removing or avoid
ing trash may add half cent, or even
1nore, to the selling price Of e weeks
work of six bales harvested, leaving thTee
bales in the field TO be storrI-beaten aa:i
destroyed to the extent Of one-third its
original value, before the hands get to
work again. Fast work and little more
trash might have saved the line bales
before the storm.
The same idea applies to picking tie
cotton clean from the hulls. Hands
should be taught to make one we'll
directed grab at 81 open boil, and then
grab the next. The little that may be
left in many of tie huils viii remain
until the last picking, when the field
may be closely Cleaned. It should DE
considered that oirt, stains, loss OF color
and brightness Of sample, and loss OF
cotton from falling to the ground, are
far more damaging than the presence Of
ciesn trash.
It was one of the exceilencies Of David
Dickson's farm management that he
studied the manual operations OF the
farm in detail and taught his iaborers
now to do everything to the best posi-
BILE advantage He not only studied to
discover the shortest and best way OF
performing s given operation, but also
sought to determine which are the Eocst
important details. He taught his labor
ers as shoemaker or a nnachinist teach
es his apprentice. He stressed the in
portsnce of dexterity and skill in every
de5sil OF the apparently simple opesa-
tions Of cbopping cotton and picking
cotton. His attention to the details OF
performing the various farm operations
contributed largely to his success aS
farmer and planter.
After the cotton is picked, if wet nom
heay;' dew or rain it will pay to exercise
some care in drying it, by spreading on
scaNolGs or by distributing it over a
large surface in the cotton house, espe-
cially thai from the bottom OF the basket
when heavy Jews are prevailing. with
the present labor, however, not much
cotton is gathered before the dew dis
appears With the larger part Of the
crop now ginned and baled ct custom
ginner;es, there should be much great
er improvement in the quality OF the
work over that Of the o,G plantation
gin-house than IS yet manifest. Careful
handling, proper ginning and baling
should be insisted upon.
GATHERING CORN.
Corn ought to be cribbed Just as soon
iry enough 10 keep in bulk. oar
aost irvarlable practice during twelty